Latin honours

The cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude distinctions awarded at graduation by many US institutions. Some set fixed thresholds, often near 3.5, 3.7 and 3.9, while others award them to a set percentage of each graduating class, which means the cutoff moves from year to year. Because the two systems behave differently, the same average can earn a distinction at one school and not at another.